Inspiration for Small Businesses in a New Year

It’s a new year and we stand at the edge of great possibilities in the business and technology worlds. Small businesses and entrepreneurs must be excited just thinking about all the opportunities that lay ahead of them. And if not, here are some things to think about as you go about planning for a more successful 2009?

This story from the New York Times shows the power that some innovative entrepreneurs have to improve the lives of others using technology. A contest at the University of Southern California led to the development of two programs that can help disabled people. The first is a program that blind people can use with their phones to make it easier to show and compare products in a store. The second is a program that allows the physically handicapped to navigate a computer using eye movements.

That got me to thinking. There has to be so much more that we can do on the technology front to improve the lives of people every day. Step outside the box if you are an entrepreneur looking for that next great venture. Think about the lives of those that are not as privileged as some of us. There are many things that we can do to help. The next big business opportunity could be in addressing that market.

If you are operating a small business that is not meeting expectations, this year offers the chance at a turnaround. If you are an aspiring entrepreneur looking for that big opportunity, try using technology to help the rest of us. There is room in this economy to make a name for yourself in a big way. As the big corporations slow their operations, new “dominant” brands will start to make a big impression on the markets. Find yourself there.

It always helps to get a little inspiration before tackling a task as big as a new year. Take a look at some of these stories to see how 2009 can be your big year. Then start to prepare for the challenge of developing a successful company, brand, or product. Start to picture your vision of success and go out there and achieve it.

I would love to hear some examples of what your plans are for the New Year. How will you innovate to achieve success? Use the comments section below to share.

I am preparing for a new year myself at the Be Innovation blog and I want to take you along for the ride. You can keep up with updates easily by subscribing to this blog in a reader, by email, or following me on Twitter. Thanks for reading.

Advertisements

Share this:

Like this:

LikeLoading...

Related

This entry was posted on Friday, January 2nd, 2009 at 12:12 pm and is filed under Theory. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Post navigation

2 Responses to Inspiration for Small Businesses in a New Year

Zach–love the NEW look! And your posting was right on. I saw this article myself and had similar feelings, especially on the technology and business front. I like to see how you’ll challenge me next time. Take Care and Happy New Year! Amanda